The fire started in a country pavilion inside the site’s “blue zone” near the entrance of Cop30. A light rain caused people outside to cheer.
The fire took place as ministers were deep in negotiations aimed at breaking a deadlock over fossil fuels, climate finance and trade measures, with one day left in the two-week conference.
Mauricio Lyrio, the head of the Brazilian delegation, said he was signing an agreement with a third country when he was asked to leave. He said his team does not believe they will be able to return to the site on Thursday.
‘World is watching Belem’
Nearly 200 countries have spent the past two weeks hashing out issues at Cop30 – from a “roadmap” to transition away from fossil fuels proposed by host Brazil, to concerns over weak emissions-reduction plans, finance for developing countries, and trade barriers.
Earlier in the day, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged negotiators to reach an “ambitious compromise”.
“The world is watching Belem,” he told reporters during a morning news conference, as nations awaited a new draft negotiating text before the summit officially closes on Friday evening.
“Communities on the frontlines are watching too – counting flooded homes, failed harvests, lost livelihoods, and asking how much more must we suffer?”
“Please engage in good faith,” he said.
– Agence France-Presse
